STAFF MEMBERS
Pastor: Scott Low
pastor@solonumc.org
Pastor Scott Low has been leading the Solon United Methodist Church since July 2006. Scott came to Solon after pastorates in Cambridge and Wooster. He has great appreciation for a variety of worship styles from the old favorite hymns and liturgy to the modern music genres and spontaneous prayers. Scott is committed to working with the staff and congregation at Solon UMC to provide radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity as we seek to live the love of Jesus every day.
Scott has years of experience in youth ministry and believes strongly that children and youth are a vital part of the life of the church. He also believes that he must be involved in the life of the community building bridges into the life of faith.
Scott is an avid bicyclist and snow skier, a big Ohio State Buckeyes fan, and enjoys watching and participating in most sports.
Born and raised in central Ohio, he is a graduate of The Columbus Academy High School and the Ohio Northern University where he earned a business degree and was a four-year starter at running back. After a short career in business, he answered his call to ministry and attended The Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Scott's wife, Kay, is a special education teacher and they have three school-age children, Josh, Lizzy, and Sam.
Visit Scott's Blog :
rollin-rev.blogspot.com
Choir Director: Judith Overcash, DMA
Judith originally hails from Charleston, SC, where she received her undergraduate degree with concentrations in vocal performance, music education, and music history. She has done graduate work at University of Texas at Austin and Indiana University in Bloomington, and holds masters and doctoral degrees in Early Music Performance Practices from Case Western Reserve University. Though she misses the south terribly, she believes it is a wonderful thing that here in the north you can get a brat at the ballpark.
Judith has been actively involved in the life of the church and in church music her entire life, singing with her mother and sister in her home church (trust me, no one wanted dad to sing!), leading summer church music workshops as a teenager, helping to coordinate and lead music-based inner-city Christian outreach programs while an undergrad, and directing her church's children's choirs in graduate school. She has been living in the Cleveland area since 1995, and has continued to participate in church music since her arrival, serving her calling variously as adult and children's choir director, music director, vocal coach, section leader, and soloist for a variety of churches.
Judith believes that music is one of the strongest forms of ministry and praise, often bringing even the most skeptical among us to the word of God. Music touches the heart and the soul, reaching out to us in a multitude of ways: the Word has its own music, and we only need open ourselves to hear the song. She hopes that her involvement in the music of the church will help bring us all closer to the music that's in each of us, and in doing so bring us closer to the beautiful melody that is Jesus Christ.
Judith is a former faculty lecturer at CWRU and Hiram College, as well as a professional performer of opera, oratorio, and various concert works. But she's recently discovered a love of musical theater, and has been appearing in some local community theater productions just for fun. When she isn't out singing somewhere, she's usually reading, eating ice cream, going to the theater, or faithfully following the Tribe or the Browns.
Visit Judith's Professional Website :
www.judithovercash.com
Children's Ministry Director: Robin McLaury
Robin has been the Children's Ministry Director since July of 2001. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in May 1991. Robin puts value in educating children and youth about Jesus as well as helping them learn the importance of worship.
Robin grew up in Hudson, Ohio and has lived here in northeastern Ohio for most of her life. She enjoys cross stitching, scrapbooking, and music. She has been in the Sanctuary Choir and has been a singer in Solon United Methodist's praise team, Spiritfire, for 8 years. She also led the group for 2 1/2 years.
Robin lives in Streetsboro with her husband Michael and their 3 1/2 year old son Max.
Youth Minister: Michael McLaury
Michael "Bud!" McLaury has been involved with the SUMC Youth Ministry program since 1995. Bud! Is an energetic and outgoing person with a passion for working with teenagers, leading them to Christ and helping them navigate their spiritual journey, as well as, their everyday lives. Bud! draws on his own life experiences to aid in leading, guiding, uplifting, empowering and loving teenagers.
Bud!, in addition to his youth ministry duties, serves on the Worship Planning Team, writes, directs and acts in worship dramas and is a singer for Spirit Fire at the Summit Service.
When not at church serving the Lord, Bud! travels our great nation as a Clinical Educator for ACSI, a National Resuscitation Science company, training physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, EMT's and firefighters on a state-of-the-art CPR device.
Bud! lives in Streetsboro, OH with his beautiful bride of 18 years, Robin, and their awesome and energetic son Max Angus.
Organist: Linda K. Gilbert
Linda K. Gilbert of Chagrin Falls, OH, is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor of music degree in organ. She received her master's degree in organ performance from Cleveland State University. Linda studied organ with Dr. Margaret Scharf, AAGO, professor of organ at Baldwin-Wallace College, and Cleveland State University.
Ms. Gilbert holds membership in the Cleveland Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honorary Society and the Cleveland Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon professional music fraternity. She served as music director and organist at Valley Lutheran Church in Chagrin Falls for 12 years and also as organist for the Church of St. Dominic, Shaker Heights, for the past four years. Aside from music, Linda enjoys water-gardening, bird-watching, photography, and nature study.
Praise Team Leader: John Woodard
John is mostly a self-taught guitar player. He has always loved music in a variety of styles and learned to play the trumpet and the rest of the brass instruments while in high school. His interest in playing the guitar grew when he had a friend who played and always seemed to have attractive girls gathered around listening. So John bought a guitar and asked his buddy to teach him some of the basics - the rest is history. Now his most beautiful music is played to worship and honor God.
John had some leadership experience in a former church and found the administration side of the church to be unfulfilling while he found that his passion lies in worship and helping others to worship. His enthusiasm and love of our Lord Jesus is contagious as he plays with a great group of people whom we know as Spiritfire. He is an integral part of our worship planning team and is passionate about helping everyone present in worship to express his or her faith and love of God through music.
John and Lisa (John's wife whom he met at work, not by playing his guitar) moved to this area from California in 2002. John is employed full time EcoWater / Servisoft. He, Lisa and their dog, Libby, live in the scenic countryside of Bainbridge Township where Lisa cares for the horses at Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center.
Children's Choir Accompanist: Carol Taylor
Secretary: Sandy Symons
Housekeeper: Jan VanderNeut
Nursery Attendant: Virginia Henderson
